Indianapolis, IN
Hoosiers in Central Indiana will get two more chances to view northern lights this weekend
Sky gazers who missed the colorful spectacle of the northern lights radiating across the night sky late Friday may get two more chances to witness the rare solar storm.
In a Saturday update, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center said extreme geomagnetic storms will persist at least through Sunday, creating another opportunity to witness the rare aurora borealis. The aurora was visible across much of the United States on Friday, with reports of sightings in states as far away as Maine, Florida and California. “Weather permitting, they may be visible tonight,” the center said on X, formerly Twitter.
What’s the view like from Indianapolis?
There’s good news for Hoosiers living in Central Indiana where cloud conditions and urban lights made the aurora difficult for some to see. In a telephone interview, Mike Bettwy, operations chief of the NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Co, said Hoosiers in Indianapolis and surrounding areas might have a better chance of seeing the aurora today and Sunday.
They can expect clear skies tonight, Bettwy said.
“The aurora itself might be actually a little bit less active than it was last night,” he told IndyStar. “I think the ability for you to see it will be better because the skies will be clearing out — at least in the Indianapolis area and that immediate vicinity.”
The Space Weather Prediction Center is expecting a secondary peak in the geomagnetic storm Sunday afternoon and well into the evening, giving Hoosiers in Central Indiana a third opportunity to see the aurora this weekend.
“It looks like it could be close to as strong as it was last night,” Bettwy said.
More: Hoosiers might see northern lights this weekend, but it depends where you live in Indiana
Coronal mass ejections from the sun, or bursts of plasma and energy, impacted the Earth’s atmosphere causing geometric storms that can result in a strong and vibrant aurora.
Bettwy said a strong burst late Friday and a weaker one this morning will impact the atmosphere tonight into tomorrow, creating a repeat of the activity last night. The stronger the burst, the more colorful the aurora and the farther south it can be seen.
Did any Hoosiers get to see Friday’s aurora?
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has received reports of the aurora visibility as far south as Florida and Puerto Rico. While Friday’s aurora may have been difficult to see for some in Central Indiana, Hoosiers across the state took to social media to share photos they snapped of the vibrant pink, purple, green and blue colors dazzling the sky.
Pictures where snapped from the sandy beaches of the Indiana Dune, from backyards in Kokomo and other Northwest Indiana towns, and even in Carmel.
How can you see the aurora?
Bettwy said there’s a possibility that Hoosiers living in Indianapolis could see the aurora from the city if the activity ends up being very strong. But, he suggests getting away from city lights — especially if you’re in the immediate Downtown — to get the best view.
“You are going to be much better if you get away from that light pollution and get out of a city,” he said. “But you don’t have to go far.”
If you’re still having trouble seeing the colors from where you are, Bettwy suggests using your smartphone to snap pictures of the night sky. Infrared imagery from phones can pick up things that people cannot see with the naked eye.
“Sometimes people will take a picture of the sky and they’re like, ‘Well, I don’t see anything,’ but then they look picture and are like ‘oh, I can see it now.’ So that’s another little tip. Sometimes people get a little treat when they actually look at the photo, because they can see more than what they would have seen with their eyes.”
Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It was another busy week in high school sports in central Indiana and ‘The Zone Extra’ has it all covered.
Athlete of the week and Guerin Catholic senior outfielder Ian Taylor is off to a scorching hot start to the young season. Check out his interview as well as Guerin Catholic head coach Dave Schrage talk about Taylor’s success.
The Johnson County baseball tournament came to a close. See highlights from Center Grove’s tournament victory.
The 4A baseball coaches poll was released as well as the 3A softball coaches poll.
The former Columbus North gymnastics coach, John Hinds, passed away at 88 years old.
Center Grove head softball coach Alyssa Coleman joins the show for a coaches corner conversation.
See highlights from the Colts Local Pro Day, featuring several former Hoosiers and Purdue’s Devin Mockobee.
Girls lacrosse is in the first season as an IHSAA emerging sport.
All of that, and more, can be found in the full The Zone Extra show above.
(WISH) — A tornado watch was issued until 3 a.m. EDT Saturday for counties northwest and west of Indianapolis, and into Illinois.
Indiana counties in the watch area are Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Clinton, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Howard, Kosciusko, La Porte, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Parke, Pulaski, Putnam, St. Joseph, Starke, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and White. The watch area includes the cities of Crawfordsville, Elkhart, Lafayette, Lebanon, South Bend, Terre Haute, and West Lafayette.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued two watches in Indiana. The other one until midnight EDT Friday includes the Indiana counties of Benton, Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter. That includes the city of Gary. That watch also extends into Illinois.
Storms on Friday night in central Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota led to dozens of confirmed tornado warnings. The storms in central Illinois has gusts up to 80 mph, and tornadoes embedded in heavy rain.
An alert issued after 10:30 p.m. Friday from the National Weather Service at Indianapolis said, “A line of strong thunderstorms is nearing the state line with a history of widespread damaging winds and tornadoes. The line is expected to continue to produce damaging winds as it moves into Indiana with the potential for additional tornadoes. The line is then expected to gradually weaken as it moves further into the state.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis is getting ready to welcome spring with its annual St. Benno Festival this Saturday.
Organizers say it’s one of the longest-running cultural festivals in Indianapolis.
St. Benno Festival is based on the German tradition of “Frühlingsfest,” the springtime version of Oktoberfest, Athenaeum Foundation President Craig Mince says.
“It would always be the festival that would open up the beer garden,” Mince said. “So that was kind of their kickoff of the spring and that warmer season. “
The Athenaeum’s celebration focuses on St. Benno, the patron saint of anglers and the city of Munich, Germany.
There’s a lot of folklore surrounding St. Benno. He’s said to have created Bach beer. He also had a sidekick, “Einbeck,” which means “billy goat” in German.
Legend has it that when the invaders were coming to Munich, he threw the key to a church into a body of water. Years later, he caught a fish that had eaten the key and retrieved it.
“When the German immigrants came here to central Indiana, Indianapolis in particular, they started to organize,” Mince said. “They celebrated Benno. They celebrated Bach beer. So that was kind of the beginning of this institution.”
St. Benno Fest will include lots of beer, pretzels, and Gomez BBQ’s doner kebab.
Francene Thomas, the Athenaeum’s event and festivals manager, says there’s a lot of thought that goes into the menu.
“We want to definitely bring the tradition of this festival and continue that, but also, just bring some fresh flavor to it, too.”
The celebration serves as a fundraiser for the Athenaeum. Money raised will go back into maintenance and other events that promote German culture.
Tickets are $25 and can be bought in advance on the Athenaeum website. St. Benno Fest is a 21+ event and runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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